


no need to abort (the countdown starts)

by symphony7inAmajor



Series: jets in space [2]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Fear of Death, First Kiss, Happy Ending, Huddling For Warmth, Love Confessions, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Outer Space, back again with my space bullshit!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 16:17:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20660099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/symphony7inAmajor/pseuds/symphony7inAmajor
Summary: The first sign that something is wrong is the engine light flickering.The second sign is the way the engine immediately goes silent, leaving the ship rocketing through space with no means of slowing down.(how could this possibly get worse?)





	no need to abort (the countdown starts)

**Author's Note:**

> for prompt 46. "The waver in a person’s voice when they’re stressed" from [this](https://heir-to-the-diamond-throne.tumblr.com/post/151164415366/64-sensory-prompts) list
> 
> vague prompt? why yes i will be going crazy stupid and putting them in dumb stupid scenarios. yes i know a lot of this was under-explained but i didn't want a 10k word prompt fill OKAY!!!
> 
> as usual making up bullshit scifi terms. get over it.
> 
> title from "major tom (coming home)" by peter schilling

The first sign that something is wrong is the engine light flickering, like an Old Sol-3 electrical lightbulb. 

The second sign is the way the engine immediately goes silent, leaving the ship rocketing through space with no means of slowing down.

Nikolaj is on it immediately, his hands flying over the screens in front of him to figure out what’s wrong.

“What’s going on?” Patrik asks. He leans over, but most of the stuff on the screen is indecipherable. This is why he’s a pilot. Nikolaj elbows him in the ribs and he steps back.

“I don’t know,” Nikolaj says finally. His face is blue in the light of the screens, but Patrik can tell that he’s pale with fear. “Malfunction, maybe.” He lifts his hand to his mouth and bites at his thumb, a familiar gesture.

“Could it be sabotage?” Patrik asks. He swings back into his seat. 

“I guess it could be,” Nikolaj says. “It would have to be very good if it is. Nobody noticed anything wrong with the engines during the scan.”

Patrik looks around the small vessel. There’s little inside that could be helpful, and certainly there are no escape pods on a ship this small. 

“Computer,” he says, “show me our location.”

The hologram marks the _ Jet, _a few centimetres away from the tiny dot of the transport ship. Unfortunately, those centimetres mark a span of hundreds of lightyears, impossible to cross in the small ship without engine power.

“Show me our closest system,” Patrik says. The hologram focuses on the spiral arm, then closes in on their location, completely cutting out the point that marks the _ Jet. _ Patrik studies the area around them. It’s dead space for at least fifty lightyears in all directions, but there’s a small, two-planet red dwarf system not much farther.

“There?” Nikolaj asks. Neither planet looks like it’ll be very useful; one is tiny and a scant ten million kilometres from the star. The other one is larger and is much farther away from its star, enough that it’s little more than a giant ball of ice. 

“Adjust course for destination Omega-Epsilon-3b,” Patrik orders the computer. When he turns away, Nikolaj is staring at him in shock.

“Are you serious?” he says. “How are we going to survive down there? Take us somewhere else, this is insane.” 

Patrik shakes his head, waving a hand through the hologram until the map disappears. 

“There’s nowhere else to go,” Patrik says. The closest Sol-3-class planet is more than ten times farther away than the Omega-Epsilon system. There’s no way they’d make it with a failed engine. Patrik sets his jaw. They’ll arrive at O-E-3b in a couple hours. Without an engine, he’s not sure how he’s going to be able to actually land. “Until then, help me figure out how we’re going to land without blowing up.”

Nikolaj buries his face in his hands. 

Two hours is not a very long time, but Nikolaj and Patrik are some of the best in the business. Patrik’s flying was impressing veteran cosmonauts before he even turned eighteen, and few people can recalibrate entire ship life support systems faster than Nikolaj.

Patrik is starting to wish that weren’t true anymore. 

“We’re going to have to reroute the power from life support,” Nikolaj says, climbing down from the ceiling panel he’d been tinkering with. “It won’t give us a lot of power, but it should be enough to slow us so we don’t die on impact. The timing has to be perfect.”

“Life support,” Patrik says flatly. “Remind me how we’ll be able to survive on a frozen planet with basic suits and no life support?”

“Look,” Nikolaj says, and his voice is tense as though he’s trying not to yell, “this was always going to be a crash landing. The ship was never going to help us down there. This is our only choice.”

“Fine,” Patrik says. “Do it. I’ll get us in orbit, scan for any cave systems we can land near.”

Nikolaj nods sharply and turns to his task.

Once they’re locked in orbit, Nikolaj reroutes power from all redundant systems and most of the non-redundant ones, too. They put on their suits while the computer scans the surface for irregularities.

The looming white of the planet seems very ominous, suddenly. 

“Do you think the others will find us?” Nikolaj asks in a small voice. Patrik turns to him. He’s holding his helmet, looking at Patrik with a frightened, desperate look in his eyes. They’ve been in dangerous situations before, situations where everything seemed hopeless, but at least the _ Jet _and the rest of the crew knew where they were. Their last contact with the ship was hours before the engine crashed, and the system hasn’t been transmitting their coordinates since they were in dead space.

Nikolaj knows this.

“Of course,” Patrik says. He forces a smile, tries to show a confidence that he doesn’t feel. “They can find our last coordinates, and they’ll figure out where we went from there. All we have to do is last a few hours at most. We’ll be fine, Niky.”

“Okay,” Nikolaj says softly. He puts his helmet on. “Let’s do it.” 

It’s hard.

Patrik had expected it to be, obviously, but he’s run drills for how to crash land at near-warp speeds. Most of those drills had not been for Geoplutionan-class planets. Also, nearly all of them had included working engines. He can hear Nikolaj’s harsh breathing in his ear the whole time and he hangs onto that sound, chasing away the sounds of the atmosphere burning the ship, the rattling of the hull, and he uses every flying trick there is and the ground is _ right there, _then—

Everything goes black.

Patrik wakes up with a ringing in his ears and a blinding headache. He groans, trying and failing to move. For a second, he thinks that he’s been paralysed. Then he remembers the seatbelt and frees himself, sliding ungracefully to the floor. Or—the wall?

In the chaos of the landing, the ship had flipped onto its side. Patrik just hopes they’ll be able to get the door open, because he’s starting to see smoking tendrils curl through new gaps in the metal.

“Nikolaj,” he says, clambering back up to the other seat. “Nikolaj, do you copy?” 

Silence. 

Patrik reaches Nikolaj, who is slumped in his seat. Lifting his head carefully, Patrik notices that he’s got a crack in his helmet and he’s still unconscious.

_ Fuck. _

First, Patrik undoes the straps keeping Nikolaj in his seat and half-carries him down to lay him on the ground. Once Nikolaj is secure, Patrik climbs back up to find the emergency kit and grabs the sealant. He smears some onto Nikolaj’s visor and waits for it to solidify, then he kneels on the beside Nikolaj and shakes him gently, trying to wake him up.

“Nikolaj,” he says, hushed at first. The cold is already starting to creep through his suit and he shudders. “Nikolaj,” he says again, louder now. He shakes him harder, and the speaker in his helmet crackles as Nikolaj coughs, blinking awake. Patrik sags against the wall in relief as Nikolaj squints up at him. 

“Did we make it?” Nikolaj asks faintly. He blinks a couple times. “Am I dead? I feel dead.”

“Sorry,” Patrik says, and he stands up, making grabby hands at Nikolaj until Nikolaj lets him pull him upright. “We’re still alive. Get what you think we’ll need as quickly as you can. The outer coating will keep the ship from blowing up, but it’s already starting to burn away. We can’t stay here.”

The two of them gather all the supplies they can, including the paltry rations supplied on the ship, then Patrik braces to open the main door. 

“Ready to run?” he asks. They won’t be able to waste a second when those doors open. Patrik feels Nikolaj pressed against his side. He wishes that his hands weren’t full of gear so he could reach out and take Nikolaj’s hand, try to comfort him a little. As it is, he braces his elbow near the button to open the door and tries to breathe steadily. “Three.” Nikolaj adjusts the oxygen tanks over his shoulder. “Two.” Patrik tightens his grip on the scanner. “One.”

Patrik jabs his elbow against the switch and they’re running for the gap before the door even opens all the way. They stumble through the smoke, trying not to trip over the twisted metal beneath their feet. Even so close to the burning ship, Patrik can feel the bite of the cold. 

“This way,” Patrik says, bumping up against Nikolaj to lead him towards the cave system. He studies the scanner again, making sure he’s not holding it upside down. “It’s not far.”

“Is there any life here?” Nikolaj asks. Patrik turns to see him looking around the empty landscape and he steps back to nudge him into motion again.

“No,” Patrik says. “Geoplutionian, remember? Just a big, frozen rock.” _ We’re alone, _Patrik thinks, but he keeps it to himself. Somehow, in every fantasy he’s had of being away from the crew with Nikolaj, none have ever involved being literally the only living things in a whole star system. 

There’s alone, then there’s _ alone. _

Patrik grits his teeth. Carrying all the supplies is hard because the gravity on this planet is half again as much as Sol-3’s. 

It’s the sky that bothers him, mostly.

Omega-Epsilon-3b has a nitrogen atmosphere, like Pluto, but the sky on Pluto is black. The red star hangs low over the horizon, and the sky here is a deep maroon. It casts strange black shadows on the ice fields, dark enough that Patrik wouldn’t be sure if they were pits or not without his scanner. 

Patrik thinks it scares Nikolaj.

Nikolaj isn’t used to this, to being out in the field. He’s been on other planets, sure, but only when they’re safe. He’s never been somewhere even remotely like this. Without a signal from the _ Jet, _ it’s worse. Patrik wonders if Nikolaj really believes that the Jet will find them. 

“Hey, Patty?” Nikolaj’s voice cuts through his musings. He sounds confused, a little concerned. “What’s that?”

Patrik turns, frowning. Nikolaj is pointing back the way they came. At first, Patrik can’t tell what it is he’s pointing at.

“There’s nothing there,” he says, preparing to shoulder his pack and keep walking. As he turns to go, he sees a flicker of movement, a shadow in the distance. He points the scanner at it and watches the screen shift and change to show atmospheric changes. 

He watches, not quite believing, as the screen is slowly swallowed up by red. 

“Patrik?” Nikolaj asks. “What is it?”

“We have to run,” Patrik says, his boots slippery on the frozen ground. “We have to go _ now, _ come on.”

The urgency in his voice must be more obvious than he thought, because Nikolaj immediately starts to run, Patrik keeping pace with him so they don’t miss the caves.

“Wait!” Nikolaj cries, but the caves are right there and Patrik slides in, down the slope to get underground. He drops his pack and looks back, expecting Nikolaj to be right behind him. 

He’s not.

“Nikolaj?” Patrik says, his voice careful. “Where are you?”

“I’m still outside, I dropped one of the oxygen tanks. I need to get it.”

Patrik runs to the cave entrance, trying to scramble up the smooth rock to get back up to the surface. 

“Niky,” he says, and he tries to keep his voice calm, he does, but he can’t help the way his voice wavers at the thought of Nikolaj out there with a mobile fucking planetary storm. “Please hurry.” His hands slip on the rock and he slides back a few inches.

“I’m coming,” Nikolaj says, a little out of breath, like he’s running.

“Just drop your stuff,” Patrik says. “It’s weighing you down, come on.” He grabs the edge of the cavern and heaves himself back outside. 

It’s darker already, and the wind has picked up. For a single, heartstopping second, Patrik can’t see Nikolaj. 

Then Nikolaj stumbles and the motion catches his eye. 

“I’m almost there,” Nikolaj gasps, but the storm is right behind him. Patrik can see it, in the same way it’s possible to see a wall of rain on the horizon getting closer and closer by the second. 

Every muscle in Patrik’s body feels too tight. He’s afraid to blink, in case Nikolaj somehow gets swept away when he’s not looking.

“Nikolaj,” he whispers.

He watches as Nikolaj turns to look at the storm and hears his soft, frightened whimper, and he makes a decision.

Patrik sprints forward, faster now that he doesn’t have all his supplies to slow him down. Every time his feet leave the ground, the wind tugs at him like it wants to carry him away.

“No,” Nikolaj says, “no, _ don’t, _ go back.” 

It’s too late to turn back now, and Patrik would’ve run for him even if Nikolaj had been in the centre of the storm.

He gets to Nikolaj, forcing his way through the wind. He grabs Nikolaj around the waist and practically throws him forward before staggering after him and taking a pack from him. 

“Come on,” Patrik says, jaw clenched as they run for the cave. Any second now.

The instant the storm hits for real, Patrik tackles Nikolaj and they go flying into the mouth of the cave. The wind roars overhead and Patrik sighs in relief, dropping his head against Nikolaj’s chest.

“Did we make it?” Nikolaj asks in a small voice. His hands come up, patting at Patrik’s back and arms like he’s not sure if they survived.

“We made it,” Patrik says. He laughs in disbelief, then pushes himself up and off of Nikolaj to slump to the ground beside him. 

Nikolaj’s breathing is fast and sharp in his ears and he lets out a long, shaky breath that ends on a sob. 

“Nikolaj?” Patrik rolls onto his front and leans over Nikolaj, staring at his face through the visor. Nikolaj is crying, his face already wet with tears. His hands come up to cover his face, pressing against his visor. It’s no use, anyway; Patrik can still hear him over the comms. “Nikolaj, what’s wrong?” He touches Nikolaj’s shoulder uncertainly, flinching when Nikolaj jerks away from him to roll onto his side and curl up in a ball. 

“Don’t,” Nikolaj says, his voice sharp and biting through his tears. “You’re not—you’ll only make this harder.” 

“Niky,” Patrik says helplessly. Times when Patrik doesn’t understand Nikolaj are rare, and every time, Patrik feels unbalanced and confused. It’s almost like the world has shifted beneath his feet and Nikolaj went with it, somewhere strange and far away and more unfamiliar than any planet they’ve explored. 

Patrik doesn’t usually hesitate before touching Nikolaj, be it an arm slung over his shoulders, or a hand on his thigh, or ruffling his hair affectionately, but now, he pauses with his hand outstretched. The space between his hand and Nikolaj’s back looks almost insurmountable. He grits his teeth and lets himself think about what would happen if their crew really doesn’t find them. Does he really want to die with Nikolaj angry at him?

He presses his hand to Nikolaj’s back, right between his shoulder blades. He ignores the way Nikolaj tenses, just rubs his back until Nikolaj stops shaking and lets out a shivery sigh. 

“Try not to do anything you’ll regret,” Patrik says, finally taking his hand back. 

“I’m sorry.” Nikolaj’s voice is still wobbly and hoarse, but he doesn’t sound like he’s on the verge of tears anymore. “I’m scared.”

“Me too,” Patrik says quietly. He tightens his hands on his knees as Nikolaj rolls over to look at him. He’s not usually one to share when he’s feeling scared, content to let people ignore anything beyond his cocky, confident exterior. Right now, though, is not the time for that. He’s not going to lie to Nikolaj, not today, and if they get out of this with their lives, he won’t lie to him ever again.

He looks at Nikolaj, who is watching him carefully. He can’t wipe his face, so his tears are still shiny on his cheeks. His eyes are wide, like he’s surprised that Patrik’s admitting his fear. 

“Patrik—” Nikolaj starts.

“Can you just.” Patrik stops, not sure how he wants to finish his sentence. He swallows. “Can you come here?” 

Nikolaj looks confused, but he crawls over to where Patrik is sitting and doesn’t resist when Patrik pulls him into his arms. 

The suits insulate them well against outside temperatures, so Patrik can’t actually feel Nikolaj’s body heat against him. Still, he can pretend. Nikolaj curls closer under his arm and rests his hand on Patrik’s chest, trying to breathe steadily. 

“Do you really think they’re going to find us?” Nikolaj asks finally. 

“They’ll try,” Patrik says, because he knows his crew and he knows that as soon as he didn’t report at the last scheduled checkpoint, they were already coming to find them. He doesn’t know if they’ll be able to figure out Patrik’s logic in choosing this planet, and if they do, if they’ll get here and scan it in time to find them, and assuming they’re still alive, dig them out from the planetary storm.

“I don’t want to die,” Nikolaj says. His voice is shaky again and Patrik hugs him tighter. Some might call Nikolaj a coward for that. Patrik thinks he’s one of the bravest people he’s ever met. “There’s so much I haven’t done yet.” 

“Tell me,” Patrik says. 

“I want to visit Gamma-17c,” Nikolaj says. “Swim in the green sea there. I want to see the city-planets at the Core. I want to learn how to speak Narceptian.” 

_ You don’t have enough tongues, _Patrik doesn’t say, but he smiles fondly. He imagines Nikolaj trying to speak the guttural language of Narceptia and almost laughs aloud. He’s so distracted by the image that he almost misses what Nikolaj says next.

Almost.

“I want to know what it’s like to kiss you,” Nikolaj whispers. 

Patrik feels his breath catch. 

“Nik,” he says slowly, “what—”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Nikolaj blurts. He tries to pull away, but Patrik holds him in place. 

“If we weren’t wearing our helmets, I’d kiss you,” Patrik says, interrupting Nikolaj’s useless stammering. 

“Oh.” Nikolaj relaxes against him, his arm curling around Patrik’s waist.

“I.” Patrik hesitates. “I love you. I want you to know, just—just in case.”

Nikolaj’s free hand fumbles for Patrik’s and he grabs on, trying his best to link their fingers together through their gloves. He looks up at Patrik.

“I love you,” he says quickly. “I don’t—I don’t want to die without you knowing.”

Patrik knocks their helmets together gently, smiling, and he lets himself hope. 

The two of them lie on the frozen rock for hours. Occasionally, Patrik brings out the scanner and they check their vitals. They have to switch out their oxygen tanks whenever the ones they’re using run out, and the tanks that were on the ship were not designed for extended use.  
  
Maybe an hour, if they control their breathing. 

The rations are useless, given that they would die in seconds after taking off their helmets. The insulation of their suits seems to be degrading after the third hour, both of them shivering sporadically and trying to stay off the ground as much as possible. The icy rock leeches the warmth from their bodies even faster than the air, so they sit on their packs and lean together as the cold coils around them. 

Nikolaj’s breathing starts to get wheezy after the sixth hour—the seventh? Patrik isn’t sure anymore—a sign that he needs to switch his oxygen. He watches blearily as Nikolaj fumbles into the pile of gear, looking for a fresh tank.

“Patrik,” he whispers, going still, “there aren’t any tanks left.”

Patrik feels like he’s been punched. 

Nikolaj has been switching his tanks out before Patrik because the crack in his visor had leaked a substantial amount of his oxygen. 

“Don’t panic,” Patrik says. It’s a stupid thing to say and they both know it, but Patrik can’t think of anything else right now. 

Nikolaj sags against him, weak and small in Patrik’s arms. 

“Don’t,” Nikolaj says, swallowing and licking his lips, “don’t want to die, Patty, not like this.” 

“You won’t,” Patrik says, because he’s made his choice. 

If the _ Jet _ was going to get here, she would have been here already. If she is, and the crew is scanning the surface, then it won’t be long until they’re found. Too long for Nikolaj to last without oxygen, though.

With stiff fingers, Patrik unhooks himself from his own oxygen tank and switches it out with Nikolaj’s.

He hears Nikolaj’s gasp as he sucks in new air and Patrik tears off the end of his oxygen tube. Nikolaj won’t be able to try to give it back. 

“Patrik,” Nikolaj says, his voice strangled and squeaky. “Patrik, no, no no _ no, _ please.”

It’s so hard to stay upright. Patrik slumps back against the wall of the cave, his body trying to breathe but unable to get any air. 

He looks at Nikolaj, trying to chase away his fear by seeing how Nikolaj is okay, he’s alive, he’s safe. Nikolaj is crying again--is he? Patrik isn’t sure. Maybe it’s still the same tears from earlier. Did he stop crying? Patrik can’t remember.

Oh, but he did, because he told Patrik he loves him.

“‘S too bad,” Patrik mumbles. It’s so hard to get the words out. “Wish I’d kissed you first, hmm.” Patrik tries to smile at Nikolaj, but he can’t. His muscles just won’t respond. 

“Try not to talk,” Nikolaj says, his voice shaky. “Save your air.”

“Hmm,” Patrik says. “No air left to save.” His vision is getting spotty. Hearing is difficult; it’s like he’s underwater. 

“Patrik, _ please,” _ Nikolaj sobs, his hands fluttering over Patrik’s helmet like he wants to touch his face.

“Promise me,” Patrik says, using the last of his strength. “Promise you’ll be happy.” Nikolaj shakes his head. His eyes are so blue. Patrik is going to miss them. “For me,” Patrik says.

The last thing Patrik is aware of before consciousness slips away is the sound of Nikolaj crying, and white light shining through the opening of the cave.

* * *

_ Beep. Beep. Beep. _

_ Beep beep beep beep. _

Patrik wakes up slowly. He feels warm, kind of floaty. He shifts a little, feels sheets slide over his bare skin. Something tugs at his chest. Stiffly, he lifts the sheet and sees an electrode over his heart. He fumbles at it until it peels off, then he pulls off the ones on the inner crooks of his elbows. 

The monitor is letting out a long, continuous beep, which Patrik ignores in favour of trying to untangle his legs from the sheets. 

He’s untwisting a wire from around his forearm when Nikolaj bursts into the room, eyes wide and terrified. 

When he sees Patrik, he freezes.

“You’re awake,” he breathes.

“Hey, Niky,” Patrik says. He coughs. His voice sounds _ awful. _

“You idiot,” Nikolaj says, face flushed with anger. “I step out for one minute to use the bathroom and you fucking—you wake up and decide to pull off all your electrodes?” He jabs a thumb at the monitor, still beeping away. “I thought you were dead when I heard that. I thought—I thought—”

It’s as if all the fury drains out of him at once and he falls into the chair near the door, burying his face in his hands.

“Nikolaj,” Patrik says cautiously. 

“I thought you were dead,” Nikolaj says, muffled into his hands. “If the _ Jet _ hadn’t arrived when she did, you would be.” He looks up at Patrik, his face pale save for two spots of colour high on his cheeks.

“I wasn’t going to let you die,” Patrik says fiercely, and something in his voice, his expression, must startle Nikolaj because he stares in surprise. “I told you I love you,” Patrik adds, looking intently at Nikolaj. “I couldn’t watch you die like that. I wouldn’t.”

Nikolaj shivers like they’re still in the icy planet, then he stands up and shuffles over to the bed to stand in front of Patrik. Patrik reaches out and takes his hand, finally curling his fingers around Nikolaj’s like he’s wanted to for so long. He tugs Nikolaj down to sit beside him. 

“Patrik,” Nikolaj murmurs. He looks up at Patrik through his eyelashes.

Patrik slides his hand around Nikolaj’s jaw, cradling his face. He sweeps his thumb over Nikolaj’s cheekbones. 

“I love you,” Patrik says firmly. “I want to tell you that when I’m not close to dying.” 

“I still haven’t decided about that yet,” Nikolaj mutters, but Patrik ignores his threats of murder in favour of watching his mouth curve into a soft little smile. His hand is soft and warm in Patrik’s and he changes his grip to slot their fingers together.

Impulsively, Patrik leans down and kisses Nikolaj’s temple, gently and carefully. He catches the scent of Nikolaj’s hair when he pulls back, the smell of his standard fleet-issued shampoo. 

Nikolaj turns into him, tucking his face into Patrik’s shoulder. 

“I love you,” Nikolaj says, all in a rush. “I’m—I was so _ scared—” _His breath hitches like he’s going to cry, but he fists his free hand into his pants and squeezes his eyes shut.

“It’s okay,” Patrik says, and Nikolaj is curled so closely into his arms that he’s practically in Patrik’s lap. He presses kisses to Nikolaj’s forehead, the hand not tangled with Nikolaj’s sliding into his hair. “We’re _ okay, _ Niky.” 

“But you weren’t,” Nikolaj cries, pushing back abruptly. “You weren’t okay, you were oxygen starved and you had frostbite and—and Helle said he wasn’t sure if he’d have to amputate anything until you started responding to the treatment.” Nikolaj doesn’t look angry, more like his fear and sadness have finally come to a head. Patrik lets him have this. “You’ve been asleep for almost two weeks, Patty.” Nikolaj’s voice has dropped to a whisper. “None of us were sure if you would wake up again, and I was here all the time because I knew if you died then you shouldn’t be alone, but I couldn’t—”

Nikolaj breaks off, his voice fading and he wipes at his eyes furiously. 

“Niky,” Patrik breathes, and that’s all it takes for Nikolaj to throw himself into Patrik’s arms and bury his face in Patrik’s chest while he shakes. Patrik strokes his back slowly, making nonsensical noises to calm him down.

Eventually, Nikolaj’s sobs fade into silence. They sit there quietly, Nikolaj’s wet breathing the only sound in the small med bay.

“Patty,” Nikolaj says carefully, turning to look up at Patrik, “can I try something? Please?”

Patrik nods, just once, and Nikolaj leans up slowly to press their lips together.

It feels like _ relief, _ and Patrik sinks into it slowly. He takes Nikolaj’s waist in his hands, pulling him closer as Nikolaj’s hands settle on his shoulders.

“Can you stay?” Patrik asks after they separate. He’s still exhausted after two weeks in a coma, and his eyes are only open by sheer force of will at this point.

“I’ve been staying here every night,” Nikolaj says, but his gaze lands on the chair. 

“No,” Patrik says, and he swings himself around so his legs are back on the mattress. He levels an expectant look at Nikolaj.

“Oh,” Nikolaj breathes, and he’s quick to take off his shoes and pants. 

Patrik is already slipping into sleep when Nikolaj curls up beside him, pulling the sheets up to cover them. He smiles to himself as Nikolaj adjusts Patrik’s arms until they’re in a position that pleases him, wrapped around his waist. He sighs contentedly.

Finally, the last of the chill that’s been clinging to Patrik since his first sight of the Omega-Epsilon system disappears, driven away by the beat of Nikolaj’s heart against Patrik’s.

**Author's Note:**

> at this point i'm writing for me and three other people so if you're enjoying my crazy au-rarepair stuff like... you should tell me :3c
> 
> [tumblr](https://symphony7inamajor.tumblr.com)
> 
> and! i have a [twitter](https://twitter.com/symphony7inAmaj) now so come follow me for more bullshit (kinda rude that twitter wouldn't let me use me full username)


End file.
